Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease/Reflection

Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s: Two Different, Yet Similar Diseases

As we start to age and become elders the neurotransmitters in our brains start to weaken and/or diminish completely, this is when Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease begin to set in. Many people assume that these late arriving, neurodegenerative diseases are linked or somehow related to one another. Let’s compare the two diseases to see what we can find out.

First these two diseases do in fact share some similarities but are not related. Both diseases bring on depression and anxiety as well as dementia in the late stages. Alzheimer’s is by far the most common cause of dementia, while Parkinson’s disease takes up a much smaller portion of dementia cases. Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease are both progressive, meaning they get worse over time. They also start showing signs late in life, around the age of 50. Both diseases are also characterized by microscopic clumps of abnormally modified proteins in the brain and spinal cord.

Even though they are similar, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease are two separate illnesses with different symptoms, treatments and mechanisms. In Alzheimer’s disease, the neurotransmitter Acetylcholine is what progressively diminishes over the course of the disease. The greatest underlying mechanism for Alzheimer’s is the accumulation of proteins called Beta-amyloid and Tau within the brain. Although we still do not know what causes Alzheimer’s, it can go on for many years without symptoms. Less than 5% of Alzheimer’s disease is caused by dominant genes that are transmitted through families. Some of the physiological effects of Alzheimer’s consists of rigid muscles, tremors are noticeable, incontinence, and difficulty remembering newly learned information. Alzheimer’s accounts for 50-80% of Dementia cases. More severe symptoms are disorientation, mood and behavior changes, and deepening confusion about events, time and place. In the early stages of AD, some may experience irritability, anxiety and depression, during the late stages of AD some may experience aggression, delusions, and sleep disturbances, along with physical and verbal outbursts.

Parkinson’s Disease has two distinct features clumps of protein called Lewy Bodies and the loss of a Dopamine-producing neurons in an area of the brain called the substantia-nigra. Dopamine is needed in that part of the brain to control movement and coordination. The development of Parkinson’s is a combination of genetic and environmental factors, it can also develop from pesticides and herbicides as well as drinking well water. Some physiological effects from Parkinson’s consists of sexual dysfunction, decreased sense of smell, vision problems, impaired thinking, excessive daytime sleepiness and Insomnia. The disease itself causes changes in chemicals of the brain. Approved drug treatments work to increase the amount of dopamine available within the brain, but over time, as the disease progresses, the benefits of the drug often diminish and become less consistent.

In conclusion, as many people grow older and are becoming at risk for both diseases, I think we can agree that there are two more similarity shared between these diseases, hope and research. Neurologists and Scientists around the world are working together to find a cure and better treatments for these diseases to help the many people diagnosed with them.

*Reflection*

I chose this activity due to the fact that my grandparents are getting older and sometimes my grandfather will call me by my moms name. It does make me think that maybe he could have developed Alzheimers Disease but he soon realizes that he made the mistake. Just doing the research and reading about both diseases was very interesting actually, I enjoy learning about diseases and disorders that I do not fully understand.